bandit -> really poor waterstart!?

[jimbooo]

Hey guys, i´m back from 14 days boracay.

checked out the new naish and f-one kites.

the naishs: ok, i checked out the helix already a while ago... still nothing special! works. really small depower, and pulls like hell. no kite for me...

and now i had the chance to test the bandit.

i tested 9, 11, 13 and 15.
it´s a nice kite, no question, but why the hack is there such a hype about it??! for me it feels like some kind of freeride kite. not really powerfull, but nice to ride.

But: what is going on with the relaunch??! the kites belongs to the kiteschool "isla kite" and they teach with this kite.

AND REALLY IT IS SO HARD TO RELAUNCH THE KITE. it is unbeleavable... sure,t hen the kite is at the site of the windwindow, no problem, but what kite has problems in this position.

but if th kite is upsite down in front of you... again. really really f**** hard to get it on the site!!!

does anybody has the same problems??! the first day i thought, ok, thats my fault or something is wrong with my kite, but it was the same for everybody with all kites.

[Chinoca]

It is obvious that either the kite is not set up correctly which I find quite strange or you did not understand how to do it. In my opinion there is no simpler way to relaunch a kite and believe me that was the first thing I tried when I first had the chance to ride it for the first time!!!

[remora]

I had my first sesion on the 7.5 yesterday and dropped the kite in the surf quite a few times, it was so simple to launch I was quite surprised! My older kites would not have come back up after the pounding they got in the surf.

There must have been a prob with your kite or its setup?

[Brent4336]

If your going to list drawbacks to the Bandit, relaunch is definitely NOT one of em!

That kite is ridiculously easy. With it straight down wind, sheet out at the bar all the way and a tilt the bar at the kite, it will make its way to one side all by itself.

Wow, if you cant relaunch this kite,,, take up another sport!

It also has a ton of power for its size and killer high end when rigged properly.

My only complaint is the loss of direct feel as the kite likes to fly in a straight line and needs to be convinced to start turning. Once turning it does so plenty fast, its just initiating that has a lag. Once used to it, its no biggie, but I'm not sure I want to get used to that. I really like the instant response of some of the 08 kites out there.

Still cant seem to part with the bandit yet.

[Scribbler]

Problem:
I couldn't get a 13 back in the air in 18knots... the kite was directly downwind, leading edge face down... tried every way I know, back lines to try and reverse it up, front lines to tip it on its back, combos of single double and triple lines... 10mins later I gave up and let it drift onto the beach

Post mortem:
The guy who lent it to me had first said 'don't touch the trim strap, it's set perfectly' so I didn't and the kite flew well, bit slippery on the bar for my liking, but great boost and phenomenal straight line speed etc.
In my frustrtation to relaunch, I hadn't even considered adjusting the trim strap... and turns out that was my mistake and the reason it wouldn't launch...

Moral:
Don't forget to tweak the trim strap

[Brent4336]

you don't have to touch the trim strap if you don't want to. Just pull in a bit of the line your leash is attached to (EVO) to get the kite to tip a bit on its back.

I switched to the short depower line (much preferred) and read in the instructions that with the kite LE down straight down wind that I might have to do that. Haven't needed to do it, but if your stuck in that position, just pull in the EVO line a bit and the kite will start to tip on its back. From there if for some reason it still wont choose a side on its own, you can put a tiny bit of tension on one steering line to get the kite moving in that direction it will head to the edge and put itself on one tip ready to go.

These are just logical normal C kite relaunch techniques that are made sooooo easy by the kites swept leading and the positioning of the front line attachments.

I have ditched this kite on purpose with the intent to keep it down a while so I could put new knots in the rear line leader (dialing in short lines). The kite does not want to stay on the water.

Have had it slip a rear line around the back so it goes up with that line going around the power lines requiring another ditch and threading the bar through the lines, but I've managed to do that, hook in, detach, and re attach my leash and relaunch without issue both times it has happened. All in 3m swell and 25-30 knots. With the EVO pulled in the kite is totally tame on its back as any 5th line kite is. I don't exactly recommend you try this, but the relaunch on this kite is so good, that I have no problem putting it to leash, messin with it and then getting it back up.

[petercccc]

Let go the bar.

Pull your safety leash to shorten a bit the life line.

The kite will roll on it back & move to the edge of window.

[jimbooo]

mhhh, still not sure, what was wrong. i´m now back, so i´m not able to test things any more.

i´m not sure, but somebody told me, that they might have the first generation of the bandit. this version had a lot of problems with the line setup and stuff...

honestly: i dont belieave that all the kites at boracay are out og this version, and thia may be the reason for this...

but - sorry - a fact is, that all the kites there (about 20 bandits) have the same problem...

[BWD]

Jimbo have you flown c kites recently?
If you switch back and forth sometimes it gets confusing...
far as I know, any kite except a bow is a pain when it is dead downwind of you, LE down. You always have to do something to get it to move.
Usually just a question of which line to pull at the right time.
It seems like either the kites where you went were set up wrong by the shop, or else it was a bunch of people who didn't know how to handle the kite. No offense intended.
Since no one from anywhere else has complained of this, it seems doubtful that it is a maunfacturing or design flaw.

[galsurf]

of all the things u can say about the bandit, this is the last u can.
the kite is so easy to relunch!!!!!! do nothing release the bar,and it does
most of the job. i think that the back lines were shorten or pulled
on the back strap. that's the only thing that can cause problems.

i didn't like the turning speed on the kites i have tested (11,9,7.5).
i like faster kites. but wave riding was great and the way it acts on gusts
was impresive.

i than i tried it with 22 m line, big difference. better speed , more direct
, runs smoother through the window in kiteloping. much better.

only now i have order the 11 an 7.5.

i hope you find what you like.